Turbine water-wheel



' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

W. M. MILLS. TURBINE WATER WHEEL.-

No. 293,904. Patented'Feb. 19, 1884.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. M. MILLS." I

. TURBINE WATER WHEEL. v No; 293,904. Patented Feb. l9,,1884.

(Np Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. M. MILLS.

TURBINE WATER WHEEL.

Patented Feb. 19, 1 884.

N. PEIEns, mammo ram". Wallin tcn. D. 0.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. MILLS,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF DAYTON, OHIO.

TURBINE WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,904, dated February 19, 1884.

Application filed August 3, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. MILLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Turbine Water-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying draw ings, making part of this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an elevation of my improved wheel. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a vertical section of the wheel on the line as 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a bottom plan view of the wheel. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the, wheel-case with its contained wheel. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a plan view through the line :20 w of Fig. 4.. Fig. 8, Sheet 2, is a vertical section taken on the line a; m, Fig. 5. Fig. 6, Sheet 3, isavertical section through the line 2 z of Fig. 4. Fig. 7,' Sheet 3, is a sectional plan view through the lineg y of Fig. 4, but with the gates in different positions of opening.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A represents the wheel-case, which ,with the exceptions I will point out hereinafter, may be of the usual or any suitable construction, having the chutes l3, draft-flame G, gate-ring D,

gate-rods E, gates F, and bridge-tree G. The

chutes are formed between the bottom plate, H,

hollowed out to economize. metal and obtain lightness combined with strength, and also to obtain aproper water-entrance. The gate-rods .E are connected at their inner ends to the operating-ring D, and at their outer ends are pivoted upon pins cl, projecting from bridge-pieces into a segmental rack, f, meshing with a pinion, K, upon a vertical rod or shaft, L, which extends up above the flume or penstock, and.

is provided with a hand-wheel,so that by turning said shaft L the ring D is rotated to open or close the gate simultaneously, and to any their outer extremities or head portion are rounded, so that I obtain a chute with two of its walls flaring at the month, by which means the volume and force of the enteringwater are unbroken and a vacuum within the chute prevented. At the same time, by pivoting the gates close to the periphery of the wheel, and by setting the division-walls, J at the angle shown, the water is always directed effectively upon the buckets, no matter to what extent the gates may be open, as will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 7,whereIhave shown the gates'at different positions of openings, from quarter-gate to whole gate; also, by this construction I make each gate serve as one of the chute-walls. The wheel, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7, has an inverted conoidal hub, from which'the buckets proj ect, not radially, but with their concave-convex horizontal sections substantially tangential to the hub, no matter atwhat position the section may be taken,as seen in Fig. 7. Embracing the'outer edges of the buckets is an integral ring, M, with a flat upper projecting surface, 9, which bears against and travels under the inner projecting'edge of the bottom plate, H, as seen in Fig. 6. The curves of the outer and inner edges of the buckets are clearly shown'in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that the bucket is so shaped as to have substantially four different directions of eurves-namely, a curve at top, a curve at the bottom, a curve at the outer edge, and a curve at the inner edgewhich havethe effect of retainin g the water and at the same time of directing it outward toward the periphery of the wheel, instead of to the center. It results from this construction thatthe space between the buckets forms a throat, which is gradually contracted as it approaches the hub and as it approaches the bottom of the wheel. Perforations h, Fig. 2, are formed in the hub to permit the escape of any leakage-water, which otherwise might get over the hub, and under the hydrostatic pressure would so jam the wheel as to seriously interfere with its easy running. Those portions of the bot-tom plate, H, within the chutes are beveled off or rounded, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6, so as to present no obstruction and tolessen the friction of the entering water. The Wheel is keyed to the spindle N, which is journaled and stepped into the casing in the usual or any suitable manner.

1. In a turbine water-wheel, the wheel proper,having spiral concave-convex buckets substantially tangential to the hub, and surrounded by a projecting ring, in combination with the wheel-casing provided with chutes whose bottom walls extend over said projecting ring, and are beveled or rounded, substantially as described.

2. In a turbine Water-wheel, the chutes having enlarged or flaring months or water-ways formed by the turned-up upper walls thereof, and the bent or curved ends of the gates piv- 3c oted therein, substantially as described.

XVILLIAM M. MILLS.

\Vitnesses:

EDWIN I. Mxrrnnws, GEORGE O. \VARRTNG'JON. 

